Method of and means for producing rug and other patterns on felt base fabrics



N 'EN TOR.

Sept. 29, 1931. J. B. CAMPBELL 1,824,758

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING RUG AND OTHER PATTERNS ON FELT BASE FABRICS Filed April 2a, 1925 g gmm m:

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I: J Q B I 3 A TTORNE Y8,

Patented Sept. 29, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOH B. CAMPBELL; or SALEM, NEW-JERSEY, AssIeNoR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CARTHAGE MILLS INCORPORATED, or CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION or OHIO mmnon or AND MEANS ron. PRODUCING RUG AND OTHER PATTERNSON I'EL'I' BASE FABRICS Application filed April 28,1925. Serial No. 26,349.

Objects of the present invention are to accelerate the operation of printing the pattern on felt base fabrics thereby greatly increasing the rate of production and decreasing the cost thereof; to greatly enlarge or in fact to remove all limit to the range of patterns or designs that may be employed thus making it possible to print rug designs including the border and in which the pattern need not be repeated as well as to print carpet designs in which repetition occurs at very long intervals which may be measurable in feet, as distinguished from inches as heretofore, although of course repeat patterns may also be printed; to provide an expeditious and reliable method for accomplishing the above objects; to provide a means for the practice of the method; and to generall improve-the art to which the invention re ates not only in respect to appearance of the patterns or designs but also in respect to the production of the product.

To these and other ends hereinafter set forth the invention, generally stated, may be said to comprise the method of producing, for example, rug patterns on saturated felt base fabrics which consists in continuously applying paint to the face of the fabric in the form of complete rug designs by contacting the face of the fabric with a rotating printing roll of peripheral length substantially equal to a rug dimension, and thereafter applying varnish to the dry printed face of the fabric.

The invention further comprises means for practicing the foregoing method which include a rotary printing machine, a fixed stick festooning line at the inlet of the printing machine to permit of end pasting to afford a continuous delivery of base fabric or raw stock to the printing machine, a varnishing machine at the outlet of the printing machine, a festooning section between the printing machine and the varnishing machine for permitting the paint to dry, and a festooning line at the outlet of the varnishing machine for permitting the varnish to dry and for delivering the printed product for re-rolling, trimming or cutting and use.

The invention also comprises the improvements to be presently described and finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and in which F1gure 1 is a diagrammatic or schematic view, principally in plan, illustrative of features of the invention.

Flg, 2 is a similar View, principally in elevation, and with parts omitted, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the printing roll showing a complete rug design thereon to be printed upon the felt base material.

The prmting cylinders 1, of which six are shown and of which the number may be increased or diminished, are, for example, four feet in diameterby nine feet long so that one revolution covers twelve feet or the equivalent of a 9 by 12 rug or of two 6 by 9 rugs placed side by side. Reference is made-to this so that those skilled in the art will understand that size 9 by 12, which is referred to merely because it is a popular size, or smaller or even larger can be produced by this inven tlon without repeating and with or without rug borders in contrast with the 18" repeats that occur in patterns printed as heretofore on fiat bed printing machines, so that with flat bed printing machines the use of the most artistic Or1ental and other designs was prohlbited. From the raw stock bundle or jumbo reel'2 the saturated felt base 3, which may have been coated on the face with a paint coat suitable for printingand also on the back with a suitable coat, passes up over a pair of pulling out rolls 4: and is festooned on a fixed stick festooning line 5. This festooning line 5 is long enough to provide time for the printing machine 6 to keep in operation while the operators are pasting an end of a fresh supply of raw stock or felt base onto the end of the preceding supply of raw stock or felt base. The printing machine has rolls 1 having a complete rug design 22 thereon adapted to be printed upon the felt base material 3 so as to make a complete rug. The fiber base or raw stock-is discharged from this festooning line 5, which acts as a reservoir, by the aid of pulling out rolls 7 forming a single festoon .as at 8 before the stock passes around the tension rolls 9 and through the printing machine 6. As the material leaves the rolls 9 it enters the printing machine and the paint on the rolls 23 from the paint holder 24 provides the material to the printing cylinder 1 for printnig the design on the felt base material. I As the goods leave the printing machine a series of guide rolls 10, shown as arranged overhead, guide the goods above the festooner 5. At the end of this flight the goods are festooned a second time in the second festooning section 11, and then led by guide wheels or rolls 12 under and through the varnishing machine 13 which applies varnish t0 the printed surface. After varnishing the goods are fes tooned for the last time on the festoon line 14 at the end of which they are re-rolled as at 15. The fcstoon line 14 may be arranged as indicated in Fig. 1 in which 16 represents a wall or partition that may be employed. 18 and 19 indicate means for actuating the festooners. The means for actuating the pulling out rolls 4, 7, 20 and 21 and also the printing and varnishing machines are not shown because they are too well understood to require illustration and because their illustration would merely obscure the drawing. The festooner 11 affords time for the paint to dry, and the festooner 14 affords time for the varnish to dry. By way of description it may be said that rugs printed in the manner described may be complete and ready for the market in, for example twenty-four hours. The printer may observe the complete manufacture of the product which is of course advantageous.

In the practice of the invention the saturated felt base may be coated on the back with paint and varnish, as heretofore, and the face of the base may be coated with paint suitable for printing, all prior to its introduction into the'festooner 5. The coat of paint on the face may be one of the colors or the ground color in the pattern. The paint used on the rotary printing machine should dry fairly quickly or, at any rate, within the time provided by the festooner 11. While this paint may contain some varnish it is primarily paint. The varnish necessary to promote wear isapplied at 13. By the described invention there may be produced high grade rugs at a comparatively small price.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction,

arrangement and procedure without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not limited as to such matters or. otherwise than as the prior art and the appended claims may require. V

I claim:

1. The method of producing rug patterns on saturated felt baseswhich consists in continuously applying paint to the face of the base in the form of complete rug designs by contacting the face with a continuous, moving printing surface and having thereon a complete rng desi n.

2. The method of producing rug patterns on saturated felt bases which consists in applying to the face of the base a suitable paint coat for printing, continuously applying paint to the paint coat in the form of complete rug designs by contacting the paint coat with a plurality of continuous moving print-ing surfaces and each having thereon a complete rug design.

3. In the method of producing patterns on saturated felt bases the improvement which consists in continuously painting a design on the face of the base by a continuous, moving printing surface, bearing at least one complete rug design thereon.

4. A method of producing rug patterns on saturated belt bases which consists in continuously applying paint to the face of the base in the form of complete rug designs by contacting the said face with at least one continuously moving printing surface. having thereon a complete rug design, the said surface moving in an arcuate path while the said base moves in a straight line.

JNO. B. CAMPBELL. 

